Wendy Esquivel of Grand Rapids waits for the bus on Division Avenue SE on Thursday, Jan. 31. Esquivel laughed about the drastic change in temperature. "It will be nice for a few days and then get cold again," she said. Winter returned to West Michigan on Thursday morning, with heavy lake effet snow, gusty winds and biting temperatures.Emily Zoladz | MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Winter returned with a vengeance to West Michigan, with heavy lake effect snow and bitter cold moving into the area Thursday morning, slowing and snarling morning commutes.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids issued a lake effect snow advisory for much of West Michigan until Saturday afternoon, with up to 10 inches possible.

A lake effect snow warning was in effect for Ottawa County, with up to 14 inches of snow possible by Saturday, forecasters said.

The area also should see biting winds up to 30 mph, with subzero wind chills also forecast. Wind chills could reach -10 degrees Thursday night and Friday, according to the weather service.

The wintry weather follows two days of spring-like weather that sent temperatures soaring — by January standards — into the 50s. That followed what forecasters said were Grand Rapids' coldest days in years.